Whisper in the Dark

by Charlene Perry

  I was enjoying the attention when the thought struck me. Whisper’s words came back to me from memory, from all the times she talked about coming here. All the times she talked about needing to find a male to satisfy her.

  I brought her here to relax and feel happy, not to find another male.

  As anger spread through me, a new thought came to mind; I could follow her inside. She wouldn’t need to find a new male if I were there with her. No one would know what I really was. My human form would blend in perfectly.

  It was a great idea.

  I flew out of sight, shifted to my panther form so I could slink along with the shadows until I found a safe spot to take my human form. When I returned to the bar, no one looked twice at me. I was just another human.

  Now, I’m standing inside the bar that Whisper loves. Some people look at me with curious expressions, but no one seems afraid or angry with my presence. I spot my mate right away. At first, I’m relieved to see her deep in conversation with another female. The relief quickly fades to jealousy again as I recognize the other woman. Kelsey.

  Whisper never brought men home. She liked to play with them, but she never trusted one enough to bring home. Kelsey was different. When Kelsey came home with Whisper, they locked me out of the bedroom. Now, it makes me question everything I thought I knew.

  Is this female more than just a friend? Is she Whisper’s mate? I force my eyes away from her to scan around the room. There are dimly lit tables full of people talking, eating, and drinking. There’s a wide section, lit with colorful, flashing lights where people stand against each other, moving their bodies in time with the beating music.

  I look at the people around me, and I see that the couples are not only male and female. There are female pairs, male pairs, and pairs where I can’t even guess their gender. It seems humans don’t only bond with the opposite sex. They must choose their mates for some other reason.

  I take a closer look at a few males, but don’t feel any particular attraction. I look closer at a few females, and though I do find them slightly more enjoyable to watch, there’s still no spark of attraction.

  I look back at Whisper, and just the sight of her across the room makes my heart race. I’ve felt this connection with her since the moment I first laid eyes on her. It’s only grown stronger, and I can’t imagine wanting to be close to anyone but her. I’ve never thought about it, but it makes perfect sense. I would love Whisper regardless of her form, of that I am certain. Though I am very grateful she happens to have this particular form.

  She is my mate. She may not be ready to admit it yet, but I’m going to make damn sure no one comes between us. Not even her Kelsey.

  I move toward her, but two young females block my path.

  “Hey, I’m Malorie.” The first one practically purrs as she touches my arm.

  “I’m Sonya.” The second one bites her lower lip as she peers up at me through thick eyelashes.

  I feel my hackles rise, even though I technically don’t have hackles in this form. These girls are acting exactly the way Whisp does when she’s luring in a mark. Do they suspect what I am? Can they tell?

  “Hello.”

  I’m suddenly not sure if my voice sounds human enough. Whisp’s warnings about the danger of being caught taking human form are echoing in my mind.

  The females continue to talk, chattering on about boyfriends and work and things I can’t quite make sense of. They keep touching me. I want to back out of their reach, but I know this behavior too well. They want something from me.

  When Whisp acts like this, her marks never suspect a thing. They fall for it every time. So, I let them talk, and touch me, and pull me toward the flashing lights and thick crowd. The girls surround me, pressing their bodies against mine and urging me to move with them.

  It’s not unpleasant; the vibration of the pounding music and the bodies pressed against mine. My cock stirs as they move in ways that remind me of mating with Whisper, but I can easily ignore it.

  I move with them, dance with them, giving them no reason to suspect I have anything to hide. It’s easy, fun even, until one of them presses her mouth to mine. I don’t want to taste anyone but Whisper, but if this is a test I won’t fail. I kiss her back, even though she tastes like rotten berries.

  I pull away from her when I can stand it no longer. The second girl immediately slides in, urging me to kiss her, too. She’s even bolder than the first. She reaches her hand between us and finds the ridge of my semi-hard cock. Apparently, my body is willing even when my mind is far from interested. She seems pleased with her discovery as her tongue finds mine and she moans a sound of pleasure.

  A fist grabs the front of my shirt, and I’m lurched away from the dance floor. The girls begin to protest, but one glare from Whisper has them tucking their tails and retreating. She keeps hold of my shirt as she nearly drags me out of the bar, though I would obviously follow her willingly.

  “What the fuck?” She shouts at me as soon as we’re away from the building.

  I can’t stop the grin the takes hold of me when I realize that she’s jealous. Very jealous. I close the distance between us, needing to have her in my arms and erase the memory of those other women from my body.

  She blocks me, shoving both hands against my chest as she backs away. I’ve clearly pissed her off.

  “What the fuck do you think you were doing with those girls?”

  “They wanted something from me.”

  “Obviously they wanted something from you! They wanted your cock. From what I saw, you seemed pretty fucking happy to give it to them.”

  “I didn’t-”

  “Whatever. I don’t care who you fuck, I just don’t want to see you get caught and put down!”

  She’s jealous. She’s jealous, but she has no reason to be. I could never want another woman.

  “I wouldn’t fuck anyone. You’re the only-”

  “Just stop, Damon. You don’t have to explain yourself. What you do is your business, it’s not like we’re really... a thing. I just need to get home.”

  I don’t know what to say to her. We’re not a thing? We’re everything.

  I step away from her, even though I desperately want to get closer. I step back and will my body to reform into my griffon. It’s a painful shift, but quick. As soon as I stand before her in my new form, her features soften. She looks at me with pride and affection once again.

  I wish she would look at me like this when I’m in human form. When I can hold her and kiss her and make her mine. Maybe she never will.

  I crouch low to the ground and she doesn’t waste a moment climbing on. The thick feathers on my neck make solid handholds, and a perfect spot to bury her face when the wind gets too strong. She grips me tight, and I put all my focus into flying steady and even.

  When I land on the balcony after our unhurried flight, I wait impatiently for her to slide off and open the glass doors. As soon as she steps inside, her clothes fade into a soft sleeping outfit. I can hardly wait to have her in my arms.

  I shift, concentrating on the loose, black pants and t-shirt that will cover me. Clothes take a bit of effort, but sticking to the same ones is making it easier each time. I pad toward her on human feet until I can finally slide my arms around her waist and pull her tight against me.

  She feels like home. All I can think about is stripping her down and savoring every inch of her skin. I want to make her scream my name again. I want to bury myself inside her and show her how much I love her.

  “Damon,” she says on a sigh, and my heart swells when there’s no trace of anger in her voice. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let this go so far. You’re a Shifter, not a human. I let your appearance fuck with my head, and it went too far.”

  She pushes out of my arms. Her words don’t make sense.

  “You loved me long before I could take this form. We spent every moment together, and I was always loyal to you...”

  “Yes, but you’re a Shifter. A modified
animal. And I’m your bondmate; you were made to be loyal to me. This form just makes it seem like something more, but it’s... it’s just fucked up.”

  A heat boils inside my chest, making my limbs turn cold. I don’t feel like holding her. I don’t even want to be close to her. I grit my teeth, trying to stop the words that are forming. Or maybe I want her to hear them.

  “I’m not human, but I’m not an animal, either. I don’t know what I am. All I know is that since the moment I first saw you, you’re all I’ve cared about. I thought you felt the same. You wanted me in your bed. You wanted me close every moment. I thought that was because you loved me, but maybe you just needed me. Loving you was just another job you needed me to do.”

  “No, Damon.” Her eyes are glassy as she wraps her arms around herself.

  My words are hurting her, but I ignore the urge to comfort her. I want her to hurt. I want her to feel what I feel when she pushes me away and tells me how wrong it is for us to be together.

  “After all this time, you still don’t trust me. You still don’t love me. Maybe you are too broken, Whisper. Maybe you just like it in the dark.”

  It’s too far. She recoils as if I’ve struck her, and the pain on her face cuts me to my core. Too many emotions are at war inside me, I can’t think straight. I have to get away from her, from all of this. I take my panther form, feeling immediate relief as the pressure that was building fades away. I lope to the balcony, and leap into my phoenix.

  Choices

  I lean my elbows on a cold, metal post as I strain my eyes against the glaring morning sun. Moridian is sprawled out below, hazy blue skies above. I reach my hand out, stretching my fingers as far as I can over the edge. I keep thinking I’ll see him flying along the horizon. Flying toward me.

  He didn’t return last night. I can’t remember the last time I slept alone, and just the thought makes me cringe. I hate these feelings of guilt and worry. If he just hadn’t taken human form. If things could just be the way they were before. Our relationship was simple, comfortable, safe. Now it feels more like a relationship. Like we had a lover’s spat.

  I guess we kind of did.

  Fuck.

  I keep replaying the words he said. He was right; I’m selfish and I’m broken. But I knew that already... I just don’t know how he didn’t. Now he’s pissed off and gone who knows where, and I’m left as an Elite without a Shifter.

  Maybe I should get a new one.

  “Fuck,” I say to no one. I tap my boot against the post in a steady rhythm, just to hear something other than my own thoughts.

  Even the idea of replacing him feels completely wrong. He’s not my property. He’s not a pet. And I honestly don’t care about the job right now. I just want him here and safe, with me.

  That thought makes my blood run cold. I’ve never cared about anything or anyone more than my place in the Protectors. But Damon... the thought of having any of this without him by my side is just... it’s just not possible.

  I need to see him. I need to look him in the eyes and tell him exactly how much he means to me, because I sure as hell didn’t show him any affection last night. I was awful to him.

  A door thumps behind me, and familiar boots approach.

  “Where does Tarek sleep?”

  “What? Wherever the fuck he wants, why?”

  “Does he sleep with you?”

  “No. Why would I... what do you want, Whisper? Why am I here?”

  Damon was right. We always had something different. But it wasn’t because I didn’t want to sleep alone. It just always felt right to have him close. I never questioned it.

  I turn around, hoping Gideon can’t see the emotions hiding under my fake smile. I take one look at him, and my breath catches in my throat. He looks like shit. He’s got bags under his eyes and three days growth on his face. I think he slept in his clothes.

  “What happened to you? What’s wrong.”

  He looks away from me, clenching his jaw and fighting to keep his composure. I don’t know what to do, what to say. He looks like he’s lost...

  “Camilla. Is she okay?”

  His composure cracks for a moment, but he steels his expression. His voice is strained when he speaks. “She’s gone. She couldn’t live with it. The shit they did to her. The shit they made her do. I couldn’t help her.”

  His words hit me like a punch in the gut.

  “No, I... I saved her. I killed those assholes and got her out of there.”

  A sickening laugh bursts out of him, and he turns to leave.

  “She was dead long before that.”

  I’m frozen to the spot for a moment, but then I rush to block his path. “We have to get the rest of them out. We have to stop them, all of them... We can’t let more girls be taken.”

  “We can’t do anything. We can’t make any difference. I tried for months and accomplished nothing.”

  “Until you found me. Right?”

  He laughs, shaking his head as he shoulders past me. I block his path again.

  “Fuck off, Whisper.”

  “Just give me a name.”

  He tries again to push past me, but I’m not backing down. He might have lost his will to fight, but I’ve got plenty to spare. I’ll take the fuckers down alone.

  “Durant. How’s that for a name?” He spits the words, then sighs as he hangs his head.

  It takes me a second to realize what he’s saying. “Tanikka’s husband? Isaac?”

  “Tanikka, Isaac, Elder Marcus. They’re all fucking corrupt. Probably half the Elders. It’s money, Whisper. Open your eyes. It’s what keeps us up here, what keeps us relevant off-world. We’re a small, overpopulated, polluted planet. But we have drugs and we have women. What do you think paid for all the tech we have? The Solars, the Aquatics, teleports, Shifters, implants... none of our tech came from earth, and none of it was cheap.”

  Bile rises in the back of my throat, and I step aside to let him pass. He doesn’t hesitate, and in a moment, I hear his engine rev as he spins out of the lot. I wish Damon were here. I wish he had heard that. I need to talk to him, and I need to bury my fingers in his fur and feel grounded again.

  Most of all, I need to kick some ass.

  I push through Tanikka’s office door, both relieved and disappointed to find her alone. I’m itching to confront her husband. I can feel it like a prickle across my skin. It’s a level of anger that makes me want to smile as I picture the ways I could hurt him and anyone else who thinks they can treat women like currency.

  Tanikka looks up from her desk, loose strands of hair falling delicately around her face. Her eyes are heavy, dark circles beneath them and not a trace of the crimson that usually paints her lips.

  “Whisper, oh!” She startles as she looks from me to the ornate, wooden clock on the wall. “I apologize, I lost track of the time.”

  She stands, smoothing her hair with her hands. She’s wearing the same clothes she had on yesterday. This regal, wife-of-a-future-Elder looks like nothing more than a frail housewife too scared to sleep in her own bed. A twinge of sympathy cuts through my rage, but I force it away.

  I like being angry. It gets shit done.

  “What do you know about your husband’s involvement with Horizon Zero?” My voice is deliberately neutral. I could just as easily be asking her what’s on the agenda for the day.

  Her eyes go wide, the whites visible around her iris’s. She looks like she would flee, if I weren’t blocking her only exit. I wait quietly, hands at my sides. She grips the edge of her desk, leaning into it as she lets out a long breath.

  “I know nothing.”

  “Bullshit.”

  She snaps her eyes up to mine. Finally, there’s a hint of fight in her.

  “Do you think so? Because when I went to the Elders, when I told them what I heard and what I thought... they were confident that I knew nothing. No facts, no proof. No reason to poison the reputation of a respectable public figure and philanthropist.”

  We
ll, that takes me back a step. She went to the Elders about her husband? I close the door behind me and walk cautiously up to her desk. Across the wide surface she stands straight, crossing her arms in front of her slim chest.

  “You told the Elders your husband was involved with a company that abducts and sells human girls?”

  She cringes, tilting her head away and closing her eyes. “I told them what I heard; That girls were being taken. I told them they were being shipped off-world and that my husband knew about it. But they were right, I had no proof. Nothing but the ramblings of a disgruntled wife attempting to get even with her husband.”

  That’s not what I expected to hear when I came to confront her.

  I need you here. I reach out to Damon, but I know he’s not close enough to hear me. I ignore the tendrils of fear creeping through me, refusing to consider that he might not come back.

  “Where’s Isaac now?”

  I need to follow this through. I’m not entirely confident that I should do it alone, but who else would back me up? I can’t wait for Damon, assuming he plans to return at all. Fuck knows I’d deserve it if he left me, after how I treated him. I took down that holding house alone, and I can damn well take down this house, too.

  Tanikka closes her eyes. She nods. “He’s in our kitchen, finishing his coffee before he begins his day. He’s a predictable man.”

  “Is he alone?”

  She holds my gaze for a while before she speaks.

  “Yes,” she answers, her voice barely more than a breath. I don’t miss the way her head moves almost imperceptibly from side to side; an unconscious no even as her words say otherwise. She’s torn between helping me and protecting herself. Maybe she knows he’s not so alone after all.

  Doesn’t matter.

  I leave her to her thoughts, walking the halls with a casual stride. I pass a few staff, returning the occasional nod or quick greeting. Outside the wide, double doors that lead to the Durant’s private living quarters, I stop and listen. No sound comes from behind them, and no trace of steps from the direction I came. I withdraw my pistol, sliding the safety, and enter.